“I only wanted to help,” she said, before turning back to me. She spread her hands wide, her expression completely open. “If you’re worried about your secret, then it’s safe with me. But you can believe me when I say that I meant you no ill will. My mistake was made out of a misguided attempt at protecting someone I care about.”
Was I supposed to just forgive her? What she’d done was rude, but I had overreacted a little…okay, a lot.
“Do you do that with everyone he brings by?” I asked, meeting her gaze. The rich purple in her eyes had receded so that it now resembled the bloom of a summer violet. The more I stared into her eyes, the more clearly I could imagine the sounds of birds in the trees and the gentle rustle of grass dancing in a warm summer breeze.
I pulled my gaze away and stared down at the floor. The moment I was free of her, the world returned with a pop, but the warmth of the summer breeze lingered against my skin like the remnants of a sweet dream.
“Most of them,” she said. “Except for the guys—those I read for fun.” I heard laughter in her voice and fought the urge to look up at her once more. She was powerful, there was no denying it.
But I couldn’t figure out why a fae with so much raw power was out in the human realm. Most of the truly powerful fae remained in Faerie, since the human realm tended to pose a pretty big risk to them. Iron was the biggest threat, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. After a period of time, most metals would have some kind of detrimental effect.
Her power, though… Simply remembering it sent a shudder through me. The last fae to capture me so easily was dead, and since then I’d consoled myself with the idea that he’d only been able to roll me because I’d been nothing more than a child. The moment I was old enough, strong enough to fight back, I had killed him.
“Where’s Alex?” she said, and I dropped back into the booth seat.
“Alex is…” Grey stopped and gazed down at the table.
“Dead,” I finished for him, keeping my eyes on the karambit still in my hands.
“Oh my Goddess,” she said, sounding genuinely shocked and saddened. “Grey, I am so sorry.”
Grey didn’t answer her as he slipped back into the booth opposite me. I gave him a quick glance, and he caught my eyes with his dark gaze.
“You want to go?” he asked me, and though he didn’t let on, I could sense that he didn’t want me to say yes.
I was no longer angry at Siobhan. Grey and I were hungry, cold, and exhausted, and once we were done here we had to go to the morgue to view the creature’s victims. The thought of leaving the warmth of the pub, no matter what Siobhan had done, filled me with dread.
“Nah,” I said. “I figure after her little stunt, the fae owes me dinner on the house.” I raised my gaze to Siobhan’s face, meeting her eyes as I let the sharp edge of the blade dig into my thumb hard enough to draw blood.
Her magic pricked at me, but this time I couldn’t hear the summer grass or feel the warm breeze on my skin. Either she wasn’t trying to roll me and was simply so powerful that the images she had conjured in my mind had been accidental, or she was a raging bitch who enjoyed wielding the power of those around her. I was hoping it wasn’t the latter.
“Whatever you need is on the house,” she said unhappily.
“Great.” I pushed as much joy into my voice as I was capable of, which, considering my gorgon nature, wasn’t a whole lot. But it was still more than enough to irritate the woman standing next to me.
I pulled my gaze away and set my blade on the table. Technically I was supposed to keep it hidden—knives, particularly curved, ornate blades like the karambit made people nervous—but right now I really didn’t care. I wanted Siobhan to see it. She’d backed off, and she was even being as gracious as any fae could be, but I could feel the undercurrents of her emotions as they rippled from her and washed over me. If she could have rolled me, exposed me for what I truly was, then she would have.
And while she’d explained her need to sift through my head, I wasn’t buying her bullshit story about an overly developed need to protect Grey. He was a grown-ass man who could protect himself. No, as far as I was concerned, Siobhan was hostile, jealous, and more than a little possessive. Whatever relationship she had with Grey, well, that was her business, but she viewed me as a threat.
“I’ll give you both a few minutes,” she said, turning away from the table and practically skipping back to the bar.
Grabbing the napkin from the table, I started to wipe the blood from the blade. It was going to need a good oiling when I got home, but this would have to do for now.
“I’ve never seen her behave like that,” Grey said, the minute she was out of earshot.
I tried to cover up my surprise by examining the knife a little harder.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Why would you?” he asked, catching my hand as I flipped the blade. I glanced up at him, but his face was unreadable in the warm glow of the pub’s lighting.
“Jenn, if I thought she was going to behave like that, I never would have brought you here.”
There was no trace of a lie in his face, no malice in his intention, and I let my breath escape me in a small whoosh as the tension in my shoulders slowly melted away.
“You know she’s really powerful, right?” I said, before sliding the blade back into the sheath at my waist.
“Yeah, but she never tried to use her powers on me before now. She’s always been like a sister to me, but when she kissed me I could feel her power bleeding out all over the place. I’ve never seen her so uncontrolled before…” He trailed off and cast a glance toward the bar, but Siobhan had disappeared into the kitchens.
I bit my tongue, keeping my thoughts to myself about what kind of relationship he must have with his sisters if that was how he behaved with Siobhan.
“I’m going to nip to the ladies’ room,” I said, sliding out of my seat. Grey nodded almost absentmindedly, his eyes still trained on where he’d last seen Siobhan.
I had no intention of going to the bathroom; instead, I made my way around the pub and then doubled back. Keeping an eye on Grey, I waited for his attention to slip, and once it did, I nipped into the kitchens. If Grey said Siobhan was behaving weirdly, then I would take him at his word. And that wasn’t the only thing I was curious about.
She’d said at the table that she would keep my secret, but I didn’t feel that she was being entirely honest with me. The thought of someone like her knowing my secret just didn’t sit right with me. Whether she liked it or not, I was going to find out just what it was she thought she knew about me.
Chapter 20
Pots and pans bubbled on the large cooking station at the back of the kitchens. The chef moved methodically back and forth from his station as he stirred stews and chopped vegetables. Everywhere else it was a hive of activity, waiters and waitresses moving quickly, carrying laden trays to and from the kitchen, but as I searched through the faces, Siobhan was nowhere to be found.
Grabbing a young waitress by the arm, I jerked her to a halt, catching the heavy tray of empty plates she was carrying to stop her from dropping it. Her eyes were a little unfocused as she stared up at me, and I could feel her straining at my hold as though she needed to keep moving.
“Where’s your boss?” I asked, studying the young woman’s face. Her tan skin was pale and almost ashen, and there was a sheen of sweat beading across her face and upper lip that didn’t look quite right. The kitchen was warm, but it wasn’t that bad.
“Upstairs,” she said, pointing toward a small, winding staircase at the back of the kitchen.
Dropping her tray onto the counter next to the sinks, I swung the girl around to face me and focused my eyes on hers.
“Go for a break. Splash some water on your face and get some air,” I said, keeping my voice calm.
The girl shook her head, and when I let her go she wandered off toward another tray of food that seemed ready to leave the kitchen.
Shaking my h
ead, I headed for the stairs. Whatever was going on here left me feeling cold. Either Siobhan had them all spelled so that they worked to their full capacity, or her magic was gradually spilling out of control. Either way, it wouldn’t lead to a good outcome.
I took the steps two at a time, and as I reached the narrow landing at the top, I saw Siobhan stepping out of her office. She had her back to me as she pulled a large key from her pocket and slipped it into the door. The lock clicked home, and she replaced the key in her pocket.
When she turned around, her eyes were a little red-rimmed, and a small gasp escaped her as she came face-to-face with me.
“You’re not supposed to be up here,” she said, her voice hardening with each word.
“I think maybe we need a chat.” I took a small step toward her. “You said you knew what my secret was. Care to elaborate?”
“I told you it was safe with me.” She gave a nervous laugh as she pressed her back to the door.
“Siobhan, what aren’t you telling me?” I closed the gap between us, feeding my power up through my body. Heat radiated down my limbs, and I could tell my magic glowed in my eyes when the fae sucked in a shocked breath.
She trembled and her glamour fell away, revealing a much smaller and terrified-looking fae. Her eyes were entirely violet, her naturally black hair glimmered with blue highlights, and her black skin was crisscrossed with blue and violet veins that seemed to stand out. But it was the wings that unfurled behind her that shocked me the most.
I’d never seen wings like it. Many of the true blood fairies, the ones close to the throne, still had their wings, a delicate gossamer affair that appeared as though they would disintegrate if a strong wind happened to come along. But this fae’s wings were entirely different.
They were reptilian in nature, covered in heavy gold and red scales that shimmered as though lit from within by a power equal to the sun. I realised then that large, glittering patches of scarlet and gold scales covered her body. Heat radiated from her, and with every breath she took the temperature seemed to go up several degrees.
“You’re not Siobhan,” I said. I wasn’t sure how I knew that the fae standing before me wasn’t Grey’s friend—she was definitely the same fae who had kissed us both downstairs—but something in my core told me the glamour she wore was not her own.
“No,” she said, her voice a rumbling roar that filled my head.
“What are you?”
“An outcast,” she said. “My mother was a changeling, my father one of the dragons of old…”
My mouth dropped open. I’d heard of the dragons, but I’d considered them to be little more than myths, which, now that I thought about it, seemed utterly ironic, considering most would look at my kind as being a myth too.
“Where’s Siobhan?” I asked, but the outcast shook her head and gave me a mournful look.
“I don’t know. She left me in charge two weeks ago, said she had something she needed to do, but then never came back.” The rumbling roar of her tone was beginning to give me a headache.
“Can you do the glamour again?” I asked, and her expression shifted to one of despair and hurt.
“The others couldn’t bear to see me in my true form either,” she said. “Siobhan was my friend, and she loved my true form.”
“Trust me, it’s not that I don’t appreciate what you are,” I said, and meant it; she was beautiful. “It’s just your voice, the power you’re bleeding out…” I hesitated as she cocked her head to one side, observing me the way a small bird would. “It’s giving me a headache,” I said finally.
“Oops,” she rumbled, and the air above her skin shimmered with magic before she shifted into the form of a petite young woman. Her black hair swung over her shoulder in the same French braid she’d worn as Siobhan, but this time it reminded me of the tail she’d had only seconds ago.
“Grey is going to be pissed about this.” I bit down on my lip. This wasn’t our problem to deal with; we definitely had more than enough on our plate with the creature on the loose, but I had a feeling that the minute Grey found out about his missing friend he would want to know all the details. He’d probably ride off half-cocked to go looking for her.
“What’s with the workers in the kitchen?”
“It’s a spell Siobhan has on the place. It makes sure the place runs smoothly no matter what happens, but without her around to keep it in check…” She shrugged and her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been so afraid that the men would come back and take me away.”
I rubbed my aching head and closed my eyes in frustration.
“What men…” I began, then realised I didn’t even know her name. “What’s your name?”
“Triskel,” she said with a wobbly smile as the first tear hovered on the edge of her lashes. I held my breath, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t fall. I really didn’t want to be dealing with a crying outcast dragon changeling creature… Was there even a name for her kind? The tear fell, and she sniffed but scrubbed her hand over her face, dashing the tears away.
“Triskel, who are these men and did they come for Siobhan?”
She nodded and sucked in a deep breath. Now that she was back in her own glamour, she wasn’t bleeding power all over the place, and I found myself able to draw a deep breath of my own.
“I think they came for me, but Siobhan helped me hide. When they left, she was pretty shaken up, but all that mattered to me was they were gone.” She closed her eyes, and her shoulders shook. “A couple of days later, she said she was going to run some errands and left me in charge… I haven’t seen her since.” Triskel’s eyes flew open and she reached out, grabbing my arm in a vice-like grip. “I swear that’s all I know.”
“I know,” I said. She was definitely telling the truth; the air around her was clear and held no trace of the usual bitterness that clouded the auras of liars. “We need to tell Grey.”
“No. He’ll be so mad, and I…”
I shook my head, cutting off her panicked rambling. “I promise he’ll be fine. Yeah, he’ll probably be a little pissed you lied to him, but we need to tell him. He’ll know how to stop Siobhan’s spell on this place.”
She nodded solemnly, but I could practically feel her nervousness vibrating in the air around her.
“Earlier, when you kissed Grey…” I said, unable to keep my question to myself.
“I was just so happy to see a friendly face,” she said, managing to appear both shy and pathetic.
Great. How was I supposed to stay all righteous and pissed off at someone who seemed as lost as a little lamb? She had power, but from what I could tell, Siobhan had mothered her, keeping her safe from those who sought to steal her away, no doubt to use her magic for their own.
“And me?” I said.
“You’re pretty,” she said with a smile. “And your magic, it tickles the air… I wanted to know what it tasted like.”
I gave her a sideways glare. Was she being serious? I’d never had anyone describe my magic like that. As for being pretty, well, that I could definitely dismiss. I was attractive, but it was more a part of my power. My magic made me beautiful, and that came with a price—Kypherous had instilled that in me often enough. Now, whenever someone described me as beautiful or pretty, I tended to push the thought away. I’d been those things when I was his victim. Now I was strong, capable, and no longer at the mercy of someone who viewed me as his toy.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get this over with.” I started back toward the stairs.
The thought of telling Grey weighed heavily on me, and I made my way back out into the main area of the pub with a growing sense of dread.
“So you’re telling me you have no idea where Siobhan is?” Grey demanded as we stood in the kitchen.
I told Triskel to wait for me as I retrieved Grey and gently broke the news to him about Siobhan being missing. At the time, it had seemed like the best idea to pull him out of the main section of the pub so we could talk freely. But now that
we were standing inside the swing doors as he ranted, I was beginning to regret that choice.
“I’m sorry,” Triskel sobbed, the words almost unrecognisable as she buried her tear-streaked face in her hands.
“Sorry?” Grey said. “You tried to trick me and…” I grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the corner of the kitchen, away from the crying fae.
“She feels bad enough without you making a tit of yourself by berating her for something that isn’t even her fault.” I kept my voice low and my grip on Grey’s muscle-corded arm tight.
“I can’t believe you’re siding with her about this,” he said in exasperation.
“It’s not about taking sides, it’s about knowing that this is not her fault. She was doing what Siobhan asked.” He started to interrupt, but I shook my head. “No. I don’t care what you think about all of this, Grey, you know I’m right. It was foolish, but stop blaming her.”
His eyes snapped with anger, the darkness seeming to grow as the tension in his body increased. And for a moment, I wondered if perhaps I’d pushed him too far. Maybe, after everything that had happened, he’d finally had enough. Who could blame him?
Grey drew in a shaky breath, momentarily puffing out his chest before releasing it, sending all the tension in his body with it. He slumped forward and scrubbed his hands over his face before raising his gaze back to mine.
“You’re right, I can’t blame her for this.”
I nodded and gave him a quick smile as one of the waitresses hurried past me. She didn’t even bother trying to slow down as she reached the kitchen door, simply slamming into it, sending her tray covered in plates and cutlery crashing to the floor.
The waitress couldn’t have been more than eighteen, and this was probably a part-time gig to earn her a little extra cash. Dropping to her knees in the middle of the broken glass and plates, with no thought for what the sharp edges would do to her fragile skin, she started scooping things back onto the tray. Blood dripped from her fingers as tears ran in rivulets down her cheeks, but still she grabbed piece after piece of broken glass and bits of shattered plate.
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